Exosomal miR-146a-5p and miR-155-5p promote CXCL12/CXCR7-induced metastasis of colorectal cancer by crosstalk with cancer-associated fibroblasts

C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 7 (CXCR7) is a newly discovered atypical chemokine receptor that binds to C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) with higher affinity than CXCR4 and is associated with the metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been known to promote tumor progression. However, whether CAFs are involved in CXCR7-mediated metastasis of CRC remains elusive. We found a significant positive correlation between CXCR7 expression and CAF activation markers in colonic tissues from clinical specimens and in villin-CXCR7 transgenic mice. RNA sequencing revealed a coordinated increase in the levels of miR-146a-5p and miR-155-5p in CXCR7-overexpressing CRC cells and their exosomes. Importantly, these CRC cell-derived miR-146a-5p and miR-155-5p could be uptaken by CAFs via exosomes and promote the activation of CAFs through JAK2–STAT3/NF-κB signaling by targeting suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) and zinc finger and BTB domain containing 2 (ZBTB2). Reciprocally, activated CAFs further potently enhanced the invasive capacity of CRC cells. Mechanistically, CAFs transfected with miR-146a-5p and miR-155-5p exhibited a robust increase in the levels of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, transforming growth factor-β, and CXCL12, which trigger the epithelial–mesenchymal transition and pro-metastatic switch of CRC cells. More importantly, the activation of CAFs by miR-146a-5p and miR-155-5p facilitated tumor formation and lung metastasis of CRC in vivo using tumor xenograft models. Our work provides novel insights into CXCR7-mediated CRC metastasis from tumor–stroma interaction and serum exosomal miR-146a-5p and miR-155-5p could serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for inhibiting CRC metastasis.Subject terms: Cancer microenvironment, Colon cancer     

植被恢复过程中芒萁覆盖对侵蚀红壤氮组分的影响

氮素是限制陆地生态系统生产力的重要因子。采用时空代换法,以红壤侵蚀区未治理、恢复12年和30年的马尾松林为研究对象,对比分析了林下芒萁覆盖地与裸地表层土壤之间氮同位素、不同形态氮组分含量以及不同组分氮含量所占比例之间的差异。结果表明:在所有马尾松林中,芒萁覆盖增加了表层土壤的全氮含量,δ~(15)N值则比林下裸地显著降低了33. 8%—83.1%(P0.05)。随着恢复年限增加,林下芒萁覆盖地表层土壤δ~(15)N值显著下降,而林下裸露地δ~(15)N值没有显著变化(P0.05)。不同恢复年限马尾松林的芒萁覆盖地表层土壤微生物生物量氮、可溶性有机氮和铵态氮含量显著高于林下裸地(P 0.05),而硝态氮含量则显著低于林下裸地(P0.05)。随恢复年限增加,表层土壤微生物生物量氮、可溶性有机氮、铵态氮含量均呈增加趋势,而硝态氮含量则呈下降趋势,不同形态氮占全氮比例表现为:微生物生物量氮铵态氮可溶性有机氮硝态氮。相关分析表明土壤δ~(15)N值与硝态氮极显著正相关,与其他氮组分极显著负相关(P0.01)。由此可见,与林下裸地相比,芒萁覆盖在植被恢复过程中有助于提高表层土壤中全氮、微生物生物量氮、可溶性有机氮和铵态氮含量,降低硝态氮的淋溶损失风险,促进土壤氮保持和积累,从而有利于退化红壤生态系统的恢复。     

儿童肠道菌群与食物过敏关系的研究进展

食物过敏(food allergy, FA)在儿童中的发生率逐年升高,严重影响其生活质量,已经成为全球面临的公共卫生问题之一。近年来,人们发现FA儿童的肠道菌群组成与健康儿童有显著差异。深入研究发现,肠道菌群可通过调节树突状细胞、辅助性T细胞、调节性T细胞、肥大细胞和粒细胞等免疫细胞维持免疫平衡,也可通过多种方式增强肠道屏障功能,抑制FA的发生。在已有研究基础上,益生菌和益生元在治疗儿童FA方面也得到了一定应用,但目前的应用效果并不明确。本文以婴幼儿FA在全球范围内患者规模日益扩大为背景,综述了肠道菌群影响FA的部分机制,总结了近年部分益生菌和益生元在治疗和预防婴幼儿FA方面的应用,并为肠道菌群在FA发生和发展中的作用机制研究和益生菌及其相关代谢产物在儿童FA治疗和预防中的应用提出了新思路,对促进婴幼儿FA治疗方法和策略的研究有重要意义。     

[B10,22-Asp,B25-Tyr-NH2]-去β链C端五肽胰岛素的合成和性质

本文报道了[B10,22-Asp,B25-Tyr-NH2]-去B链羧端五肽胰岛素的制备及其生物活性。结果表明,这一类似物的生物活力比去五肽胰岛素(DPI)的活力高一倍,但却比Gerald所报道的[B10-Asp,B25-Tyr-NH_2]-DPI的活力低很多,说明后者的高活性可能依赖于分子中B22-Arg的存在。     

NM23-H1、 DJ1 和 TIM1 在低分化鼻咽鳞癌 组织和 CNE2 细胞株中共同表达

鼻咽癌为一种好发于鼻咽顶前壁及咽隐窝的头颈肿瘤, 98% 属低分化鳞癌 . 鼻咽癌就诊的患者中约 75% 已有颈淋巴结转移,颅神经受累 ( Ⅱ ~ Ⅵ, Ⅸ ~ Ⅻ ) 也较易发生. CNE2 为一种低分化鼻咽鳞癌细胞系,其生物学行为具有低分化鼻咽鳞癌的一些共同特点 . 选择恶性程度高的鼻咽癌组织 ( Ⅳ期,低分化鼻咽鳞癌 ) 和恶性程度高的低分化鼻咽鳞癌细胞株 CNE2 为研究样本,应用双向凝胶电泳技术获得了 6 例分辨率较高、重复性较好的低分化鼻咽鳞癌组织和 CNE2 细胞系双向凝胶电泳图谱,利用基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱 (MALDI-TOF-MS) 技术,分析了 145 个蛋白质斑点 ( 组织 66 个点,细胞株 79 个点 ),共鉴定出了 74 种蛋白质,其中瘤基因 DJ1、转移相关基因 NM23-H1 和磷酸丙糖激酶异构酶 1(TIM1) 3 种蛋白质,在 CNE2 细胞系和该 6 例低分化鼻咽鳞癌组织中均共同表达 . 并进一步应用 RT-PCR 法检测低分化鼻咽鳞癌细胞系 CNE2 和 12 例低分化鼻咽鳞癌组织三者 mRNA 的表达：在细胞系 CNE2 和 3 例Ⅳ期低分化鼻咽鳞癌病人的组织中三者全表达, 3 例Ⅲ期及 6 例Ⅱ期也各有 1 例为全表达,而在正常对照的 6 例慢性鼻咽炎组织中未检测到三者的同时表达且有一例为全阴性, NM23-H1、 DJ1 和 TIM1 三者的 mRNA 在Ⅲ、Ⅳ期低分化鼻咽鳞癌组织共同表达,与正常对照组织相比,发现两者有显著性差异 (x²=10.214 , P＜0.005). NM23-H1、 DJ1 和 TIM1 三者的共同表达,可能与低分化鼻咽鳞癌的发生发展有关.     

Role of Complement 3 in TNF-α-Induced Mesenchymal Transition of Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells In Vitro

Injured renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) have been recently thought to directly contribute to the accumulation of myofibroblasts in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis through a process of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the factors inducing RTECs to undergo EMT and the underlying mechanisms need to be further elucidated. This study aimed to determine the EMT-inducing activity of proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α and the role for complement 3 (C3) in this activity in an in vitro model of human RTECs (HK-2 cells). Wild type HK-2 cells were treated with TNF-α, IFN-γ or C3a; C3 siRNA- or control siRNA-carrying HK-2 cells were treated with TNF-α. Changes in the cell morphology and phenotype were assessed by microscopy, RT-PCR, western blotting, and immunostaining. TNF-α effectively induced HK-2 cells to express C3 and to transform into morphologically myofibroblast-like cells that lost E-cadherin (a classical epithelial cell marker) expression but acquired alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA, a classical myofibroblast differentiation marker) expression. C3 siRNA robustly attenuated all the morphologic and phenotypic changes induced by TNF-α but the control siRNA showed no effect. Our preliminary observations suggest that TNF-α may induce EMT in RTECs through inducing C3 expression.     

我国1999—2003年间ALV—J野毒株gp85基因变异趋势

通过接种鸡胚成纤维细胞（CEF）、间接免疫荧光试验（IFA）和聚合酶链式反应（PCR）,连续五年从全国各地的送检病料中分离到14株J亚群白血病病毒（ALV-J）。为了动态观察ALV-J囊膜表面结构蛋白（GP85）的变异情况,对这14株野毒株的囊膜糖蛋白基因（env）进行了克隆和测序,将它们与HPRS-103株的GP85的氨基酸序列进行了比较,结果表明：ALV-J的囊膜表面结构蛋白发生了很大的变异,而且这些变异主要集中在高变区hr1、hr2和vr3;这些野毒株GP85的氨基酸序列的同源性在86．6％～100％之间（从同一鸡场中分离到的两株ALV-J即BJ00302与BJ0303的同源性为100％,其它毒株之间的同源性均小于100％）;有义突变与沉默突变的比例显示这3个高变区极有可能是免疫选择压作用的位点。